Step #1: Lectio / Read

Step #2: Meditatio / Meditate

Use the following meditation to help you reflect more deeply on the Scripture (you may want to read the passage again).

I was 15 when I entered the seminary because I knew when I was 6 that God wanted me to be His priest. I was ordained when I was 35.

For a long time, I was wondering if God's will for me to become a priest had changed - now I know that it didn't. My priestly formation just took longer, and I cannot imagine my life now without those 8 extra years of monastic formation in the school of prayer, of obedience, and of total abandonment to the Divine Will, which is always for our good.

When the sick man asked the Lord that, if it is His will, He can "make him clean," the Lord responded right away: "I do will it, be made clean". The man was healed right away. The sick man's desire to be healed matched the Lord's desire for him to be healed, and because God is love and therefore can only will our good, He only wills what can bring us true and lasting joy, and the man's desire was fulfilled.

I realize that not all of us get the instant cure and answer that the man in the Gospel got. I did not receive my ordination right away; but that doesn't mean that God's will for me flactuated. Now I know that, all along, He had a better formation program for me and a different plan for my priesthood. I never thought of leaving my country, yet here I am, 15 years later, living in my third state in this great country, USA, happily serving His people as His priest. Now I know that He had a plan for me better than mine because I am His beloved son, and He wills only the best for me. I know and am certain that He wills the best for you, too.

Step #3: Oratio / Pray

These questions are to be used to talk to God; have a conversation with the Lord about these questions and what is going on in your heart as you pray today.

What is God's will for your life right now? When is the last time you took time to let Him tell you His will and His plans right now and for the future?

What things would you ask God to heal right now? Like the man in the Gospel, can you boldly ask God to take care of those things in your life?

​Do you believe that God's will for you is good? What would stop you from following His will for you in your life?

Step #4: Contemplatio / Contemplate

In this step, you listen. Stop talking, let God speak to your heart. You may repeat one of these short phrases to focus your mind on the Lord.

"Your will is good."

"I trust in You."

​"I will follow You."

Step #5: Actio / Act

In light of today's reading and your time spent in prayer with the Lord, what concrete action or actions will you take to let this encounter with Lord bear fruit in you today?

Take some time to reflect on how you've seen God's plans for your life play out and where He is leading you currently.

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The following image is here for you to save and use as a background or lock screen on your smartphone or device to help you carry today's Lectio Divina with you the rest of the day.

Today's prayer was prepared by Fr. Ervin Caliente, priest of the Diocese of Rockford.